Top



w. J. KERR.

TOP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1919.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1,338,573. I Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

I; GE -l 1 7 /4 Ih kik J IIIIII WIW II! w." I. KERR.

TOP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 2, I919.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STATES PA'IENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KERR, OF SMETHPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOP.

Application filed September 2, 1919.

To all whom it may concern 4 Be it known that I, VVILLIAM .I. harm, a citizen of the Unlted States, residing at Smethport, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tops; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to games and toys and more particularly to tops, and the principal object .is to provide a device of this class having a plurality of rings passing around a rotary staff and thrown to eccentric positions thereby, said rings having painted, or otherwise ornamented or treated faces to coact in producing different visual effects while the device is in motion.

Another object is to provide a manually operated member for relatively shifting the several rings while in motion for the purpose of varying the visual effects produced.

Yet another object is to provide a top of the character set forth in which the rings above mentioned travel at their peripheral edges around a circular wall so that in ad dition to being thrown to eccentric positions and carried bodily along a circular path, said rings are rotated to produce exceptional and very pleasing effects.

In addition to carrying out the above objects, the invention aims to provide a top which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed, and operated with case, even by small children.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique association of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of top constructed in accordance with my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ap1227, 1920.

Serial No. 321,027.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a rotary disk 1 provided with a suitable central staff and with appropriate supporting means, and employ a plurality of preferably fiat rings 2 having large openings 3 to loosely receive the staff. These disks are provided with different surfaces which coact in producing numerous visual effects when the top is in motion an d such surfaces may be formed by ornamenting in any suitable way, as by painting. When the disk 1 is rapidly rotated, the rings 2 are thrown outwardly to eccentric positions by centrifugal force and the colors or designs on their exposed surfaces blend to produce exceptionally pleasing effects, and by relatively shifting the rings while in motion, these effects may be varied in a great number of ways.

In most forms of the invention I provide a manually operable member 4 carried by the disk supporting means for relatively moving the disks while the top is in motion and this member is preferably disposed for contact with the peripheral edges of the disks as shown. I intend in most instances to construct the member f of a length of spring metal so that it will. normally clear the disks but may be forced inwardly against themvby hand whenever the visual effect of the top is to be changed. .If the disks 2 are of different sizes or provided with openings 3 of different diameters, so that their peripheral edges are not disposed in alinement, the member 4 may be offset accordingly as seen at 5.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,, the disk 1 is provided with a central upstanding staff 6, having on its lower end a bearing center 7 rotatably received in a bearing socket 8 with which the disk supporting means is provided, said means being shown as consisting of a post 9 and pedestal 10 from which it rises. The parts 6, 9 and 10 may well be turned from wood and thus inexpensively manufactured, but they may be constructed in other ways if desired. I have shown the post 9 pro vided with a lateral arm 11 carrying the control member 4, but said member might well be otherwise mounted if desired.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the staff 6 of the disk 1 is of hollow form and is provided at its upper end with a bearing socket 8 receiving a bearing center '7' on the disk supporting means. This means is of different con struction. in this form of the invention and preferably consists of a single stem 9 of wood or metal provided with a handle 10. This handle may be rigidly attached to the stem as in Fig. 4 or it may be provided with a ferrule or socket 12 into which the stem fits loosely. lVhen the latter form of.

construction is employed, since the stem 9 is not rigidly supported, it may shift laterally and such shifting will have a tendency to relatively move the disks 2 so that the visual effect is constantly varied.

By employing the hollow shaft 6 and providing the bearing means at the upper end of said staff, there is no danger of the disk jumping from its supporting means when it is spun and consequently the device may be operated with case, even by very young children.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the supporting means for the disk 1 is in the form of a casing 13 provided with a circular wall 1 1 and equipped with a suitable bearing 15 with which the hearing 16 of said disk coacts. The disk is provided with a staff 6" around which the rings 2 are passed and the peripheral edges of these rings are adapted to travel against the wall 14. By this arrangement, in addition to moving bodily around a circular path, the rings 2 are rotated and conse quently exceptionally pleasing results are obtained. The visual effect produced by this form of the invention may be varied whenever required by relatively shifting the several disks, and this may well be accomplished by pressing the member 4: inwardly into engagement with the rings, said member being shown secured to the bottom of the casing 13 and operating in a slot 17 with which the wall 14 is formed.

The rings 2 may be of numerous sizes and shapes and if desired their inner edges may be fluted as seen at 18'in Fig. 9 for engagement with the staff of the disk. This serves to hold the rings in any position to which they are shifted. In ornamenting the rings, any suitable designs and color schemes may be carried out and although I have illustrated several different designs, it is to be understood that I amnot restricted thereto. Furthermore, although I have disclosed only four forms of the top, it is obvious that it may be embodied in numerous other ways, within the scope of the invention as claimed.

All forms of the device are simple and inexpensive and may therefore be cheaply manufactured and sold. Regardless of these advantages however exceptionally pleasing effects are obtained from the device.

I claim:

1. In a top, a rotary disk having a central staff, a plurality of relatively movable rings having openings to loosely receive said staff, said rings being adapted to swing outwardly by centrifugal force to eccentric positions and having surfaces coacting in producing visual effects while in motion, and means for relatively shifting said rings while in motion to vary such visual effects.

2. In a top, a rotary disk having a central staff and a bearing, supporting means for said disk having a bearing engaging the bearing of said disk, a plurality of relatively movable rings having openings to loosely receive said staff, said rings being adapted to swing outwardly by centrifugal force to eccentric positions and having surfaces coacting in producing'visual effects while in motion, and manually controlled means carried by said disk supporting means for relatively shifting said rings while in motion-to vary the visual effect.

3. In a top, a rotary disk having a central staff and a bearing, supporting means for said disk having a bearing engaging the bearing of said disk, a plurality of relatively movable rings having openings to loosely receive said staff, said rings being adapted to swing outwardly by centrifugal force to eccentric positions and having surfaces coacting in producing visual effects while in motion, and a movable, manually controlled member carried by said disk supporting means in position for contact with the peripheral edge of at least one of said disks while in motion, whereby to relatively shift the disks to vary the visual effect.

4. In a top, a rotary disk having a central staff and a bearing, supporting means for said disk having a bearing engaging the bearing of said disk, a plurality of relatively movable rings having openings to loosely receive said staff, said rings being adapted to swing outwardly by centrifugal force to eccentric positions and having surfaces coacting in producing visual effects while in motion, and a yielding arm carried by said disk supporting means in position for contact with the peripheral edge of at least one of said rings when manually moved,

whereby to relativelyshift the disks and vary the visual effect.

5. In a top, a casing having a circular wall, a disk rotatable in said casing and having a central staff, and a plurality of 4 rings having openings to loosely receive said staff, said openings being'of a size to permit the peripheral edges of the rings to travel against said circular wall, said rings having surfaces coacting in producing different visual effects.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I

WILLIAM J. KERR. 

